Court Halts Bid to Remove Taraba Governor, Dambaba Suntai

The crisis occasioned by the continued absence of Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State from office deepened Wednesday as the state High Court sitting in Jalingo presided over by Justice Nuhu S. Adi restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Senator Hope Uzodimma-led committee from acting on the terms of reference given to it by the party.

Besides, Justice Adi further restrained the committee and the party from submitting or receiving any report in respect of anything pertaining to the Office of the Governor of Taraba State as it relates to the temporary absence from office as the substantive governor of the state.

The National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur had last week set up a seven-man committee headed by Uzodimma to ascertain the reasons for the continuous absence of Suntai as well as suggest ways of resolving the disharmony caused by his absence among the members of the party in the state.

Other members of the committee are Ahmed Gullak, Alhaji Shittu Muhammed, Alhaji Bala Buhari, Prof. Richard King and Mrs Bolajoko Doherty as well as Senator Abubakar U. Gada.

Suntai, who was involved in a plane crash on October 25, 2012, is currently receiving treatment at John Hopkins Hospital in the United States of America after being treated initially at a German hospital.

In granting the injunction, Justice Adi listening, counsel to Alhaji Garba Julde and Hon. Sale Audu Habu who are plaintiffs and applicants in the motion ex-parte application, restrained the defendants (PDP and the seven-member committee) from acting on the terms of reference given to the committee by PDP pending the determination of the motion on notice filed by the plaintiffs/applicants now pending before the court which has been fixed for hearing on June 17.

The judge equally restrained PDP or its agents, servants or any of its organs from receiving or implementing any report submitted to it by the second to the eighth defendants/respondents or any other committee instituted by the party in so far as any of such report touches on or relates to the absence from office of the Governor of Taraba State and the performance of the functions of that office in acting capacity by the Deputy Governor of Taraba who is now the acting governor pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before the court.

source: this day